Kommunikation bortom orden : En etnografisk studie om hur lärares actio och ickeverbala kommunikation påverkar elevers motivation

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att få insikt i hur lärarens ickeverbala kommunikation och actio påverkar elevers motivation. Utifrån en etnografisk arbetsmetod observerades en svensklärare på en gymnasieskola under fyra lektionstimmar för att undersöka hur läraren kommunicerade med sina elever ickeverbalt. Parallellt med observationerna intervjuades både läraren och eleverna som deltog i undersökningen. Undersökningen visade att lärares ickeverbala kommunikation och actio har en stor påverkan på elevernas motivation, att denna påverkan sker omedelbart och att den kan förändras under en pågående lektion. När en lärare medvetandegör hur hon eller han kommunicerar med sina elever ickeverbalt kan aspekter som oavsiktlig och intuitiv kommunikation få en mindre påverkan på undervisningen. Detta bidrar i sin tur till att utveckla lärarens ickeverbala kompetens och på så sätt sin förmåga att motivera sina elever under hela lektionen.

To speak or not to speak English during English lessons : A literature study on language use in the elementary classroom

There are different views regarding which language should be used in the second language classroom. Therefore, the aim of this literature review is to find out if the teachers’ choice of language use in the classroom can affect the students’ motivation to speak English and if there are other factors that can affect the teachers’ choice of language use. This study is based on six different sources who all have investigated the use of the first language and/or the target language in schools in different parts of the world. The results of this study show that both the use of the first language and the target language can affect the students’ motivation to speak English. The results also show that there are many different factors that can affect the teachers’ choice of language in the classroom, apart from motivation. These factors include the use of the first or the target language to ensure comprehension, encourage communication, create and maintain relationships between teachers and students, keep up a good classroom climate, and to uphold discipline. There are arguments both for using the first language and the second language in the second language classroom and it is difficult to determine which language is the best to use. However, what can be determined is that it is the teachers’ responsibility to decide and to have a reason for choosing one language or the other.

"She was a Bitch" : A Socio-Educational Perspective on Motivation for Learning English.

AbstractThis degree project focuses motivation for learning English among a group of Swedish uppersecondary school students. By employing a socio-educational perspective, some vital factorsbehind a strong motivation for learning English in school are investigated through individualinterviews. Components in the past, heralding either a high level of motivation for English or a low such, are primarily focused. Moreover, essential socio-educational factors behind managing to achieve grades in English despite a low level of motivation and various impediments, such as severe socio-psychological adversities, are looked into. While motivation for English is emphasized as a critical factor, in accordance with socio-educational motivation theory, the study also stresses the importance of a positive first encounter with the English language, a satisfying English teacher-student relationship, and a sense of success in the English classroom. But above all, the study stresses a need for early tests among young students for reading disabilities, which according to this study often go undetected and thus severely impede any kind of second language learning and motivation.

A reason to believe : beliefs as an influence on students task solving

Upper secondary students’ task solving reasoning was analysed, with a focus on what grounds they had for different strategy choices and conclusions. Beliefs were identified and connected with the reasoning that took place. The results indicate that beliefs have an impact on the central decisions made during task solving. Three themes stand out: safety, expectation and motivation.

Upper Secondary Students’ Beliefs About Learning English as a Foreign Language : A contrast between the students’ beliefs and the Swedish curriculum

Learning English as a foreign language (EFL) entails different factors. Language learners use different strategies in order to make their language acquisition successful. Motivation and self-regulated learning are other factors that influence how successful the EFL learner is. This paper aims to analyze the beliefs of upper secondary students in a Swedish school about learning EFL, as well as how their beliefs relate to what is specified in the Swedish curriculum. An analysis of the differences between students’ beliefs and what is stated in the curriculum was done. A survey was conducted on a total of 54 students who were enrolled in the social sciences program. The results showed that students believed that motivation and self-regulated learning were important factors for a successful learning. For them, the language skill of reception is more important than production, which does not correspond with what it is stated in the national curriculum. First and second year students’ beliefs were similar in most of the cases, but not all of them.